Category Archives: Microsoft Office

Oct 22

Microsoft Office 2024 Released

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Microsoft released Office 2024, their latest Long Term Service Channel (LTSC) version. LTSC is the perpetual license of Office available as a one-time purchase rather than the subscription-based Office 365. Office 2024 succeeds Office 2021, the previous perpetual license version.

A summary of the suite, enhancements and changes is here: Overview of Office 2024

New Access 2024 Features

New features in Access 2024 include:

  • Access Dataverse Connector with Power Platform
  • New Microsoft Edge Browser Control
  • Improved Memory Handling for 32-bit Version
  • Code Signing Databases and VBA Code
  • Open queries in SQL View from the Navigation Pane
  • Disable Warning when Opening Linked Tables in Design View
  • Support for More Tables and Connections
  • Improved Handling of Broken Connections to Linked SQL Server Tables

For more details, visit Microsoft Access 2024.

FMS is currenting updating our Office/Access related products to support the latest features in Office/Access 2024 for both 32 and 64-bit versions.

For a comparison of Access 2024 features to other Access versions, visit our Microsoft Access Version Features and Differences Comparison Matrix

Dec 15

Microsoft Access Could Not Lock File (Error 3050): Cannot Open Database Error

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Microsoft confirmed the Microsoft Office security update released on Tuesday (December 14, 2021) causes Microsoft Access databases on shared drives to be locked after users exit the database. This prevents other users from opening the database and multiuser database sharing. Customers reported errors like: 

Could not lock file (Error 3050)
Could not use 'Admin' (related to workgroup security)
This file is in use. Enter a new name or close the file that's open in another program.

Several issues appear to be happening:

  1. The first person opening the database is successful but an exclusive lock is placed on the database preventing others from opening it.
  2. The Access lock file (*.laccdb or *.ldb for ACCDB and MDB databases respectively) is not being deleted after the last person exits the database. This makes the database seem like it’s still being used.
  3. This can also impact workgroup security files (*.mdw) that also have their *.ldb lock file.

From Microsoft:

This is due to the December 14, 2021 (Patch Tuesday) update to Office. The problem was introduced by a security fix, so it impacts all active versions of Access.

We are working on a fix, and will deliver it as quickly as possible.

The update has only updated a small percentage of users, and we are pausing automatic updates.

There will be a page added to the Fixes or workarounds for recent issues in Access (microsoft.com), which will be the place to go for updates.

These perpetual license updates introduced the problem :

  • KB 5002104 for Office 2013
  • KB 5002099 for Office 2016
  • Office 2019 Version 1808, build 10381.20020
  • Office LTSC 2021 Version 2108, build 14332.20204

For Microsoft 365 subscribers:

  • Current Channel Version 2111, build 14701.20248
  • Monthly Enterprise Channel Version 2110, build 14527.20340
  • Monthly Enterprise Channel Version 2109, build 14430.20380
  • Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel (Preview) Version 2108, build 14326.20692
  • Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2102, build 13801.21086
  • Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel Version 2008, build 13127.21842

If you have one of these builds, the only solution is to move back to an earlier build in the channel.

Microsoft published this new page with the latest information on this issue Error in Access when opening a database on a network file share

Rolling Back to an Earlier Version

These are Microsoft support pages for reverting to a prior update depending on your Office license:

FMS Suggestion

This problem is even in the Semi-Annual Channel which is never supposed to include such poorly tested changes.

To avoid such problems, disable automatic updates. While this is a drastic step, Microsoft repeated failed to release stable updates thereby causing more problems than they fix.

Disable Microsoft Office Updates
Disable Updates for Microsoft Office

Additional Resources

We discuss this change in our previous blog: Error: “The operating system is not presently configured to run this application” with Access Database Engine (DAO.DBEngine)

Here’s our page on Changing the Office Channel for Microsoft 365 Apps

Jun 24

Total Access Memo 2021 is Now Available!

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We are excited to announce the release of Total Access Memo 2021! Total Access Memo lets you add rich text format (RTF) memos to Microsoft Access with sophisticated editing and spell checking. Our super-easy data binding means you can display rich text on your forms and reports and store it in your tables.

memoGive your users the ability to add text with different fonts, point sizes, fonts styles (bold, italics, underline, etc.), bullet points, tabs, paragraph margins, indentations, alignment, spacing between paragraphs, color, graphics, hyperlinks, etc .

Total Access Memo 2021 is an upgrade from the 2007 version and includes these enhancements:

  • Support for 64-bit Versions of Access/Office including 365
  • Backwards Compatibility
  • Improved Rich Text Editor
  • Enhanced Sample Database
  • Updated Manual and Help File
  • New Setup and Distribution Programs

Download the free trial to experience it for yourself.

Existing Total Access Memo owners are eligible to upgrade at a discounted price.

Nov 15

Microsoft Access Query is Corrupt (Error 3340)

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Critical Alert

A set of Microsoft Office security updates released on November 12, 2019 causes Access databases to fail when it runs Update Queries to modify data. An error like this appears when the query is run:

Error 3340: “Query ‘qryName’ is corrupt”.

It doesn’t matter if the query is against a table in the current database, a linked table, or a linked SQL Server table. If the Access database engine is processing the UPDATE query, the error occurs.

In addition to Microsoft Access, other programs that update Access databases may also be affected. That includes Excel, PowerPoint, Word, etc. and programs written in Visual Studio .NET, VB6, and web applications.

Types of Update Queries Affected

When attempting to run an Update query, it may fail with the error: “Query ‘query name’ is corrupt”. This occurs for an UPDATE query that:

  • Updates a single table (i.e. it updates a table, rather than the output of a Select query or join)
  • Specifies a WHERE clause (i.e. has entries in the Criteria row in the query designer)

These queries can be saved Access query objects or SQL strings executed in VBA code (or other languages that use ACE).

Security Updates Causing Query is Corrupt Error 3340

The issue was introduced on November 12, 2019 via the following patch updates for MSI builds:

  • Office 2010: Description of the security update for Office 2010: November 12, 2019 (KB4484127)
  • Office 2013: Description of the security update for Office 2013: November 12, 2019 (KB4484119)
  • Office 2016: Description of the security update for Office 2016: November 12, 2019 (KB4484113)
  • Office 2016: Update for Office 2016 – November 12, 2019 (KB3085368)

Microsoft announced they’ll fix this in the December update, but that’s way too long to wait. We hope Microsoft will respond more quickly. Until then, we found multiple solutions to address this issue.

Current Microsoft Fixes

Here are the current Microsoft fixes for the issue.

There is a December 10, 2019 security update for the MSI builds, that will be available via WSUS (Windows Server Update Services) and will be automatically applied that fixes the issue.

  • Access 2010: KB4484193 – Build 14.0.7243.5000
  • Access 2013: KB4484186 – Build 15.0.5197.1000
  • Access 2016: KB4484180 – Build 16.0.4939.1000

Note: If you try to apply the patch and you receive a message that says “No products affected by this package installed in the system”, this means you have a click-to-run (C2R) installation of Office, rather than an MSI installation.

  • Access 2010 MSI, Access Database Engine 2010 Redistributable: Fixed Build 7241.5001 – November 27, 2019
    This update is only available for manual download and installation from the Microsoft Download Center.
    To manually download the update, visit November 27, 2019, update for Office 2010 (KB2986256).
    Organizations that want to distribute the update without requiring each user to install manually, visit Distribute product updates for Office 2010 for more information.
  • Access 2010 C2R: Fixed Build 7243.5000 – December 10, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
  • Access 2013 MSI: Fixed Build 5189.1002 – November 27, 2019
    This update is only available for manual download and installation from the Microsoft Download Center.
    The update can’t be installed on Office Home and Student 2013 RT.
    To manually download the update, visit November 27, 2019, update for Office 2013 (KB2965317).
    Organizations that want to distribute the update without requiring each user to install manually, visit Distribute updates for Office 2013 products for more information.
  • Access 2013 C2R: Fixed Build 5197.1000 – December 10, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
  • Access 2016 MSI, Access Database Engine 2016 Redistributable: Fixed Build 4927.1002 – November 18, 2019
    This update is only available for manual download and installation from the Microsoft Download Center.
    To manually download the update, visit November 18, 2019, update for Office 2016 (KB4484198).
  • Access 2019 Volume License: Fixed Build 10353.20037 – December 10, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
  • Access O365 Monthly Channel/Access 2016 C2R/Access 2019 (Version 1910): Fixed Build 12130.20390 – November 18, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
    For more information on the update, visit Version 1910: November 18.
  • Access for Office 365 (Microsoft Store Version): Fixed Build 12130.20390 – November 22, 2019
    Open Microsoft Store, Click on […] in the upper right corner, Choose [Downloads and Updates]
  • Access for O365 Semi-Annual (Version 1808): Fixed Build 10730.20422 – November 22, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
    For more information on the update, visit Version 1808: November 22.
  • Access for O365 Semi-Annual (Version 1902): Fixed Build 11328.20480 – November 22, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].
    For more information on the update, visit Version 1902: November 22.
  • Access for O365 Semi-Annual (Version 1908): Fixed Build 11929.20494 – November 22, 2019
    Open an Office program, select [File], click [Account], click [Update Options] and select [Update Now].

Solutions

  1. Uninstall the Security Updates
    • The best way to fix the problem is to uninstall the Security update for Office which is the source of the problem. There are different steps depending on whether you are on an Office 365 subscription or not.
  2. Modify All Your Update Queries
    • If your solutions are deployed to users where you cannot uninstall their Security Updates, you can modify your queries so they don’t trigger the problem. This can be done by adjusting the queries or replacing them with recordsets updated in code.
  3. Rename each table and create a query selecting it with the original table name. Need to adjust table references.
  4. Deploy your Access application with Access 2007 or earlier. You can download the free Access 2007 runtime from our site.

For detailed information and step-by-step instructions, visit Microsoft Access Error 3340: Query is Corrupt.

Oct 21

Email Aliases and Forwarding Microsoft Office 365 Messages to Another Mailbox

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Email Aliases

Microsoft Office 365 makes it easy to create mailboxes. For no additional cost, email aliases can be created and assigned to a mailbox. For instance, sales@domain.com and support@domain.com could be aliases assigned to specific people’s accounts. That makes it easy to maintain a general address that’s assigned to whomever is currently responsible for it.

Setting Up Aliases

Before adding an email alias to a user, you must have admin permission to do so.

  1. In the admin center, choose Users > Active users
  2. Select the user > Manage email aliases
    • You won’t be able to see this option if the user does not have a license assigned.
  3. Select [+ Add an Alias] and enter a new alias for the user.
  4. Click [Save changes].
  5. It may take up to 24 hours for the new alias to populate throughout Office 365.

When the email appears in the user’s Inbox and they reply, the FROM address is their email address. The alias is not the FROM address.

This makes it useful to have dedicated mailboxes rather than aliases. Someone can monitor the mailbox and respond from it. With Office 365, it’s easy to have an internet browser with Outlook opened to that account.

Unfortunately, it’s inconvenient to log in to the mailbox, and if it rarely receives emails, it’s easy to forget. It’d be much better to be notified at your regular email address when an email arrives.

Forwarding Email Messages

Microsoft allows you to easily forward your emails from your Office 365 account to another email account on Office 365 or external accounts such as Gmail or Yahoo. It’s very helpful for monitoring mailbox that are rarely used (e.g. webmaster, info, etc).

  1. Sign in to your Office 365 account.
  2. Open Outlook.
  3. At the top of the page, click the Settings icon, then at the bottom of the panel, click on “View all Outlook settings”.
  4. Choose Forwarding and enter in the email you would like your Office 365 emails to be sent to. There is an option that allows you to keep a copy of your forwarded messages so you can still log into that account and respond to them.

Hope this helps!

For more information on how to use Microsoft Outlook better as a user or developer, visit our Microsoft Outlook Tips and Techniques page.

Mar 20

Microsoft Access/Office Resources

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There are many online Microsoft Access resources available from the Access and Office teams.

New Microsoft Access Tech Community Site

access-community

This is the Microsoft Access development team’s community site that’s integrated with the Access program. Expect to see more and more information and discussions here:

Microsoft Access Tech Community Site

Online Microsoft Access/Office Training

office-training

Online training videos from Microsoft are available for most Office products.

Online Microsoft Office Training

Click on the Access icon to see the Microsoft Access training videos, or go directly to:

Microsoft Access Training Videos

Microsoft Access Help Center

access-helpcenter

The documentation team manages this site for MS Access documents and online help.

Microsoft Access Help Center

Old Microsoft Access Support Team Blog

access-blog

This Microsoft Access blog site is being retired but still has relevant information.

Become an Office Insider

office-insider

If you have an Office 365 subscription, and want to get the latest builds of Office/Access, become an Office Insider.

Sign up from the PC that will host the insider version. Of course the insider version is not ready for prime-time, so don’t use it for your development or production environment.

Office Insider Sign-up

Nov 07

Microsoft Access DevCon 2017 in Vienna, Austria

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FMS Inc. founder and president, Luke Chung, was invited to speak at the Access developer’s convention in Vienna, Austria April 1-2. Luke provided his insight on:

  • The Access Challenges that developers like himself face
  • How Access has changed and evolved over the years,
  • Demonstrations of many of FMS Inc.’s products and their features.

Luke Chung

Along with Luke’s presentations, DevCon saw Microsoft Access Team members Michal Bar and Mike Sullivan, who gave overviews of Access 2016 and what is coming in the future. Thomas Pfoch, from picoware, showed new features relating to treeview customization. Peter Bryant, from Corylus Business Systems, provided insight in communicating with JSON Services. Microsoft Access MVP, Juan Soto, spoke about Optimizing Access with SQL Server. Danish Microsoft Access MVP Andres Ebro provided techniques and tricks to help with image handling, classes, and using reports inside a form. Paul Rohorzka of TechTalk presented automated testing of Access applications. Kevin Bell of COMC shared his thoughts on tools to extend Access development.

The conference was a great, informative success! The event, organized by Microsoft Access MVP Karl Donaubauer, was sold out! FMS Inc. was grateful for the opportunity to meet and present for all of those in attendance.

Additionally, due to the enormous success of the event this year, 2018 will host the 2nd Access DevCon Vienna on April 7-8. To stay updated on the event for next year, make sure to check out Karl’s page about the event! Access DevCon 2018

Apr 28

Microsoft Access Video on VBA Programming with Luke Chung at Access DevCon 2017

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FMS President Luke Chung was a presenter at the Microsoft Access DevCon 2017 in Vienna, Austria in early April.

Before giving two conference presentations, he was sat down and spoke with Philipp Stiefel of codekabinett.com of Germany. Philipp is creating a series of videos discussing VBA development.

Luke shares the history of how FMS Inc. began working with MS Access and how we now offer 12 products for the Access community, including Total Access Analyzer, Total Access Emailer, Total Visual CodeTools, and Total Visual SourceBook.

They talked about:

  • VBA Best Practices
  • How end-users migrate from Excel to Access, then learn how to code
  • Why people are hesitant to purchase third party products and how FMS overcomes that by showcasing the value we offer
  • Using tools like Total Access Analyzer to catch errors before shipping and learning best practices
  • Using the module code in Total Visual SourceBook to address problems we’ve already solved so you can focus on the unique issues in your applications
  • The value of creating consistent, quality code
  • How to improve code for developers of all backgrounds
  • Being in constant “growth” mode to look for ways to become a better developer

FMS Inc. is proud of the quality of products we have produced for the past 30 years. We are honored to continuously be regarded as a leading expert in the Access community. Thank you for supporting us and we hope you enjoy the 20 minute interview!

 

Mar 14

Create Surveys with Excel Online hosted in Office365

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excel-icon-lgYou can quickly create surveys with Excel and make them available online with all results saved in the spreadsheet hosted in Office365. Just create an Excel spreadsheet in Office365 and choose the Survey item on the ribbon to design it.

A link is provided to share with people to respond. They don’t need to have Excel or Office365. Just a web browser. Try our sample by clicking the image below:

survey

Shorten the URL

Excel provides a very long URL to share your survey. By using a site like bit.ly, you can create a shorter one to email to your contacts. This is important to avoid problems when URLs get word wrapped in emails. For instance, this survey is shortened to https://bit.ly/2qmSweG.

Results in Your Spreadsheet

The results go directly into your spreadsheet with each submission as a separate row:

response

Having the ability to create a survey and see the results in a spreadsheet in minutes, is a terrific tool to help your projects!

Sep 26

Free Trial Offers for Microsoft Office 365 on the Cloud

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office365Microsoft Office 365 is Microsoft’s new and popular way to license the Office products for online and desktop use. It also includes hosted Exchange for email, SharePoint, OneDrive for shared hard disk files, and the communications package Lync. The cloud based platform means Microsoft takes care of the system administration to update versions, apply security patches, monitor usage, ensure uptime and connectivity, and address hardware problems.

Let Microsoft Take Care of Exchange and Email

If you are still hosting your own Exchange Server in your facility, it’s time to consider outsourcing so Microsoft can worry about the versions, patches, hardware failures, and other maintenance chores. Microsoft will also host it in a real data center with reliable power sources, battery backups, multiple internet trunk lines, and enterprise quality physical security.

If you’re already outsourcing your email/Exchange hosting, Office 365 is a wonderful alternative and lets Microsoft deal with the challenges of keeping email up and running 24/7/365.

Includes Desktop Copies of Microsoft Office

If an option includes the Windows copies of Office, you can install on your local machine Office 2013 copies of Microsoft Access, Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, Word, Lync, and InfoPath. This lets you have both the online versions of Office and the traditional non-Internet dependent local copy.

Office 365 with SharePoint and Access Web Apps with SQL Azure

Microsoft SharePointWith Office 365, the hassles of hosting and maintaining your own SharePoint site is gone. Microsoft takes care of that for you and lets you create both private and public web sites.

Microsoft Access 2013You can also enable Access Web Apps to create simple database solutions with data automatically hosted in SQL Server (SQL Azure). The data can also be shared with other applications such as the desktop version of Microsoft Access.

Office 365 Options

There are many options based on your situation:

Free Office 365 Trials

Click on these links for free 30 day trial offers (pricing below assumes a one year commitment):

  • Office 365 Enterprise E3 Trial – 25 licenses (Details)
    E3 price is regularly $20/user/month and includes the Office desktop versions. Depending on options, prices range from $4 to $22 per user/month
  • Office 365 Small Business Premium Trial – 10 licenses (Details)
    Small Business options are limited to 25 users in the organization. Premium price is $12.50/user/month, the basic without desktop copies is $5 a month
  • Office Pro Plus Trial – 25 licenses (Details)
    This is the traditional Office on the desktop without the online services. Rather than buying the licenses upfront, Microsoft now offers the ability to pay for it on a monthly basis for $12 and install it on up to 5 machines.

microsoft-dynamicsTrial for Microsoft Dynamics

We are also pleased to extend Microsoft’s trial offer for their Dynamics CRM system

Good luck and let us know about your experiences using Office 365.